Hinge for cracker-boxes.



No. 783,003. PATENTED I EEB. 21, 1905. P. WESTERBEGK. HINGE FOR GRAGKERBOXES..

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29. 1904.

AT-rzs-f INVENTOR F. WESTERBECK. 2 3 MW ATTYS UNITED STATES PatentedFebruary 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

HINGE FOR CRACKER-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,003, dated February21, 1905.

Application file February 29, 1904- Serial No. 195,902. v

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK l/VEs'rER- BECK, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hinges forCracker-Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this speci= fication.

My invention relates to a hinge for crackerboxes so constructed as tohave a double action, the object of the invention being to furnish ahinge for the lids of cracker-boxes that will permit of the lids beingswung clear of the box-body and lowered into a position against the backthereof for the purpose of avoiding the breakage of the hinge or itsconnections, which frequently occurs in cracker-boxes having theirhinges connected closely to the box-.

body. In the old styles of hinges referred to breakage is occasioned bythe rear edge of the box-lid being brought violently into contact withthe back of the box-body when the lid is thrown open in ordinary storeusage, with the result that the lid-hinges are subjected to severestrain and broken off in a short time.

Myinvention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described,and pointed out in the claim.

Figure I is a perspective view of the top of a cracker-box having myimproved hinge applied thereto. Fig. II is a perspective View of therear upper portion of a cracker-box having its lid secured by myimproved hinge, the lid being shown in open and lowered position. Fig.III is an enlarged vertical section taken on line III III, Fig. I.

l designates the body of a cracker-box, and 2 its lid. At the rear sideof the lid 2 is an ear 3, and secured to the rear side of the boxbodyare ears 4.

5 is a yoke that passes loosely through the lid-ear 3 and is providedwith arms 6, that carry pivot-stems 7, that are loosely fitted in thebox-body ears 4. The members of the yoke are so formed that thepivot-stems 7 extend in a line parallel with the portion of the yoke 5that passes through the lid-ear 3 in order that both the mentionedmembers of the yoke may turn in harmony in theears in which they aremounted. It will be seen that by connecting the lid to the box-bodythrough the medium of the yoke of the form described the rear edgeof-the box-lid is caused to be thrown away from the rear side of theboxbody when the lid is thrown open, this being due to the free pivotingof the yoke in both the lid and box ears and to the pivotmembers of theyoke being separated by the connecting-arms 6.

In addition to providing the lid 2 of the cracker-box with a rim at itsfront and sides, as usual, I continue the rim across the rear of thelid. By having the rear rim portion extending downwardly from the top ofthe lid I provide a closure for the space between the top of the box atits rear portion and the surmounting lid, by which dust and dirt areexcluded from the interior of the box, and the rear rim portion beingthe carrying member for the hinge of the box-lid is properly positionedto permit the swinging of the lid on the hinge with double action.

WVhile I have shown the main portion of the yoke 5 as passing throughthe lid-ear and the pivot-stems 7 as seated in the box-ears, I desirenot to be limited to the parts disposed in this manner, as it is obviousthat without departing from my improvement the position of the yoke maybe reversed, so that its main pivot portion will be connected to the boxand its pivot-stems to the box-lid.

I claim as my invention The combination with a cracker-box, of a lidhaving a rear rim portion extending downwardly to close the spacebetween the top of the box and the flat portion of the lid, and adouble-action hinge consisting of a yoke having a pivot portion looselyconnected to said box and a pivot portion loosely seated in said lid-rimportion, whereby the space between the top of said lid and the upperrear edge of the box is closed when the lid is closed, and the lid ispermitted to fall flatly against the back of the box when the box isopen, substantially as set forth.

FREDERICK WESTERBECK.

In presence of E. S. KNIGHT, NELLIE V. ALEXANDER.

